What about the interior stages of the Camino? We discover them here…

They might not be the most popular and crowded stages, but they are as interesting as the first and the last stages of the Camino de Santiago. You will find out stunning, isolated and mystic landscapes, medieval villages, such as Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Castrojeriz, Sahagun or Astorga, and the historical cities, Burgos and Leon.

The interior stages are not too physically demanding -that`s what people say- and they don`t require a high level of fitness, but mind that they can also be challenging. Why? Let`s read some extracts of this pilgrim`s experience:

`The only friends I had made so far were the cows, the spiders, the donkeys, the bees, the horses, the sheeps (…) With no trees to offer shadow and relief from the heat, uncomfortably having to cross fields of cows and horses in the middle of the path (…) It was the most isolated of days with only one town between the start and end of the walk`.

You could be feeling afraid, but do not need to worry. For sure, you will find more pilgrims along the interior stages during the high season of the Camino (from May to October). Anyway some people enjoy the silence and the isolation of these interior routes for a while. As another pilgrim tells: `A chance to get away from the normal hustle bustle and life to stop and think. A chance to see what you’re really made of`.

The landscapes and more

From Logrono you will find the way slightly flatter than the previous stages; you will cross the hilly province of Burgos, passing typical villages, vineyards and ruined castles. From Burgos you will go through the stepped crop fields that are typical of the region. You will pass through some small woods of Holm oak and conifers, which serve as a memory of the time when one of the largest forests in Europe existed on these lands.

To end, in Sahagun, leaving “Tierra del Campo” behind, you will move on through the cereal and grain-covered plateaux of Leon. And from Leon to Astorga, the way becomes more interesting because of its history. Once in Astorga not to miss: Episcopal palace, the cathedral, and the city walls.